A Day With Papa Haydn

Saturday, January 27 at 3:00 PM

Sunday, January 28 at 4:00 PM

Central United Methodist Church
1875 North Central Avenue at Palm Lane, Phoenix

Click here to see the complete program notes for the Day Trilogy and a biography of Haydn by Conductor Warren Cohen

Composer Franz Joseph Haydn’s (1732-1809) Day Trilogy of symphonies was written in 1761, early in his career, when he became court musician in an Austrian province whose remoteness from other musicians “forced him to become original.” The symphonies include extraordinary depictions of a sunrise (No. 6, “Le Matin”), a kaleidoscopic midday (No. 7, “Le midi”), and an evening storm (No. 8, “Le Soir”) bringing an end to the day. The works feature solos for all principal players in the orchestra, who in gratitude gave the composer the honorary title “Papa Haydn.” The music is not just entertaining, but also complex and infinitely varied in color, revealing the young composer’s extraordinary skill

The Day Trilogy also marked the beginning of the Classical era of musical composition, succeeding the Baroque era of Bach and Handel. For his innovations, Haydn earned the additional title “Father of the Symphony,” acknowledging his innovations and mentoring of many composers including Mozart and Beethoven – who quoted Haydn’s Evening Symphony in his own Pastoral Symphony.